1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to an apparatus for providing light through optical fibers and, more specifically, to an apparatus which utilizes multiple bundles of fiber to provide patterns of light and colored light.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known in the art to use optical fibers and a light source to convey light to various locations. It is also known in the art to subject the ends of a bundle of these fibers to light filtered through a turning color wheel such that the light which is conveyed alternates in color. Similarly, if it is desired that different portions of the lighted object exhibit different colors simultaneously, it is known in the art to employ a plurality of bundles, each provided with its own light source. Each bundles"" fibers are then distributed over the object to be lighted such that light is delivered accordingly. Each light source can be provided its own color wheel or may share a film strip with various colors and which is attached to a turning wheel between each light source and its respective bundle of optical fibers.
The present invention differs from the above referenced inventions and others similar thereto in that these prior devices use turning disks to provide the pattern, which dictates the light results. In contrast, the present invention uses a roller system to create a track over which a color sleeve loop is moved. The track is located between a light source and a bundle of optical fibers. In addition, where a variety of simultaneous colors or blinking effects is desired, the above referenced inventions require multiple light sources whereas the present invention uses a single source of light to achieve this effect. In the present invention, the color sleeve loop, which travels in between the light source and the ends of the fiber optic bundles can be provided with multiple tracks such that one track may be of varying colors while the adjacent track may include patterns of intermittent light for blinking effects, etc. The light filtered through each track reaches only one bundle of optical fibers through the use of dividers.
Objectives of the present invention include reducing the cost, maintenance, and heat problems associated with multiple light sources while also providing a device which allows a variety of light patterns to be employed simultaneously.
The present invention provides an apparatus to light an object by utilizing a color sleeve loop on a roller and track system to provide light to the bundled ends of groups of optical fibers. The apparatus comprises a housing in which a light source, a roller and track system, and a color sleeve loop reside, and a cover with an opening through which the bundles of optical fibers are threaded in order to be exposed to the light source. The roller and track system is connected to a means to turn the rollers. If the objective is to provide multiple light patterns to the object, then the color sleeve loop is divided into parallel tracks and each of the bundles of optical fibers is separated from the others by dividers and situated such that light passing through only one track is conveyed to each bundle.
In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus is incorporated into a base for an artificial Christmas tree. The tree has a trunk section and branches with decorations attached to them. Two bundles of optical fibers are threaded into the trunk and fibers from one bundle are distributed through the branches while fibers from the second bundle are distributed to the artificial decorations attached to the branches. The fiber optic bundles are bound by an adaptor or sleeve which is inserted through the opening in the cover of the light apparatus and the bundles are kept separate from one another by a divider. The color sleeve loop has two tracks and the divider is aligned between such tracks on the color sleeve loop to segregate the color of the light provided to the fiber optic bundles.
In operation, the color sleeve loop travels over the rollers and in between the light source and the bundles of optical fibers. Due to the use of the divider, light passing through one track is delivered to only one bundle and light passing through the other track is delivered only to the other bundle. In the preferred embodiment, for example, the fibers dispersed throughout the branches receive light from a track which is of multiple colors while the fibers located in the artificial ornaments receive light from a track which alternates blank and black i.e. blinking patterns.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated from the following description. The description makes reference to the accompanying drawings, which are provided for illustration of the preferred embodiment. However, such embodiment does not represent the full scope of the invention. The subject matter which the inventor does regard as his invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of this specification.